Good relationship between police and public critical for crime prevention - Superintendent Kwabena Otuo

Superintendent Kwabena Otuo Acheampong, Regional Crime Officer, Tema Regional Police Command, has stated that a cordial working relationship between the Police and the public was critical for crime prevention.

He noted that the public and the police needed each other to ensure maximum security.

“We cannot have effective policing without the active involvement of the public, while the public cannot live in a safe environment without the police, we must, therefore, work together instead of fighting each other.”

Supt. Acheampong was speaking at the third monthly Stakeholder Engagement seminar organized by the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office to enable state and non-state actors to address national issues.

The event also recognizes the editorial contribution of reporters towards national development in general.

Speaking on: “The state of security within the Tema Region: Role of stakeholders,” Supt. Acheampong stressed the need for partnership between the Police and the Public to effectively combat crime.

The Tema Regional Police Crime Officer described the relationship between security and the public, including the media as essential, adding that “we cannot fight crime without the public volunteering information. Security thrives on the wheels of tip-offs. The Public must report incidents of crime and suspicion of criminal activities.

He said the criminal elements live within our communities, saying “most residents know the bad nuts within but sometimes are afraid to report to the Police, if you shield a criminal today, tomorrow he or she may turn around to attack you.”

Supt. Acheampong described as unfortunate recent physical and verbal attacks on Police personnel, stressing that such attacks affect the morale of the personnel.

He said the Police High Command would not protect any personnel caught in criminal activities but appealed to the citizens not to attack the Ghana Police Service for the crime of one individual.

The public must name and shame police officers involved in unprofessional conduct that seeks to undermine the integrity of the police service; most often citizens brand the entire police service as a bunch of unprofessional personnel when some alleged cases of misconduct were reported in the public domain.

The Tema Regional Police Crime office said the police, in some instances, were under-resourced but worked within the limited resources to maintain law and order in the various communities.

Supt Acheampong called on citizens to support and have confidence in the police service as the only institution mandated to maintain law and order in the country.

Supt. Sandra Akossah, Tema Regional Police Prosecutor, contributing to the discussion admonished the public not to see the police in a bad light even though there were some bad individuals among them.

“But the police stand for respect for human rights, we stand for service excellence, we stand for integrity, and we can achieve all these when there is a partnership between the police and the public,” she added.

Supt. Akossah noted that the Ghana Police Service was a service delivery organization, and therefore, in as much as there was a public expectation on how the police went about their work, the police service also expected the public to give the service feedback through positive and constructive criticisms.

The third GNA-Tema Stakeholder Engagement and Workers Appreciation Day seminar was attended by the National Commission for Civic Education, Association of Oil Marketing Companies, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.